Preservation Round-Up: Getting the Word Out Edition

Posted on:June 16th, 2011byDavid Garber

The Greater Chaco Landscape in New Mexico. (Click photo for listing)

Today's round-up is all about America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The 2011 list was announced yesterday, and there has been a ton of buzz from around the country about these threatened places, all of which are important for our nation's built legacy and broader story.

First up are the big stories about this year's entire group of 11. NPR, BBC, CBS, other big names broadcast the list across airwaves and televisions nationwide. Local and regional outlets gave more personal reactions to the 11 Most list.

The Black Hills Pioneer wrote an excellent piece on the plight of Bear Butte in South Dakota.

“I'm ecstatic!,” said Jace DeCory, founding member of the Association for Mato Paha Preservation (AMPP), a citizen action group formed to educate the public about Mato Paha (Bear Butte). “It gives the mountain a voice.”

“At least people nationally are concerned with the preservation of this most holy site,” DeCory said. “I'll bet our ancestors in the spirit world are happy that folks are recognizing this as a special place. This mountain keeps people living. People can pray for guidance and help with life here. They can leave their troubles here and start anew. A lot of people come here to start over."

Belmead-on-the-James was written about in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, highlighting that the 150-year old manor home was built by slaves and designed by renowned architect Alexander Jackson Davis.

China Alley in Hanford, California. (Click photo for listing)

In the central valley town of Hanford, China Alley - one of California's best rural Chinatowns - was added to the list because it currently doesn't have any protections against tear-downs and character-changing facade alterations. The Hanford Sentinelwrote about the site's designation:

Preservation of China Alley also has a deeply personal meaning to [Arianne] Wing, a member of a third-generation family corporation, which has helped keep the Alley intact for more than a century.

"Since these buildings can't speak for themselves, I need to speak up - they want to stay the same. I don't think they want a new façade, to be torn down or become a vacant lot," Wing said. "Someday, I won't be alive, and I won't be able to chain myself to the building, if someone wanted to tear it down. So I want to make sure that the future generations can continue to enjoy the living legacy of the alley."

Fort Gaines, on Dauphin Island, Alabama was listed because of the threat of continued erosion around the site. The Press-Register wrote about the fort, saying,

Indeed, Fort Gaines, with its original cannons, beautiful vaulted brick ceilings and tunnel system, is too precious to be washed away into the Gulf of Mexico because of inaction. It has already lost 400 feet of historic battlefield, and that’s too much.

The Greater Chaco Landscape in New Mexico made this year's list because of the threat of energy development at its borders. KOB-TV has the story:

The John Coltrane house (click for a tour) was a media favorite. An unassuming split level rambler in Dix Hills, New York, the house was Coltrane's home when he wrote "A Love Supreme." The New York Times spoke with Trust President Stephanie Meeks about the listing:

“The home itself is one you might find in any suburban neighborhood,” [National Trust President Stephanie Meeks] said in a telephone interview. “It reinforces the idea that great history happens all around us and there is a preservation opportunity around every corner.”

Yesterday, friends of the Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago rallied for its preservation. Certainly unique architecturally, supporters hope that owner Northwestern University will choose to adaptively use the building rather than demolish it. Curbed Chicagoreported on the rally:

It was a display that would tug at the heart strings of even the most cynical of developers. But will it actually change anyone's mind? Prentice backers are targeting Alderman Reilly, who, after getting a 60-day demolition hold, has been mum on the building, and Mayor Emanuel, who hasn't taken a stance on it either.

For a more in depth look at the Prentice listing, see Blair Kamin's post in the Chicago Tribune. See more photos of the rally below:

This year we added a new category, placing the entire city of Charleston, South Carolina on our "watch list" because of the heavy impact that cruise ship tourism is having on the beloved historic district. Fox News fleshed out the story on Charleston's status:

The National Trust wanted to "strike a balanced note between recognizing the great work that Charleston has done in preservation over the last several decades, while also signaling our concern about the growing impacts of the cruise ship industry in that port," Meeks said.

By texting the word “PLACES” to 25383 on your mobile phone, you can donate a special $10.00 gift to support the National Trust’s efforts to save the places that tell America’s story, including those you are about to see on this year’s list. You can donate up to three times a month through August. Click here for details.

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The PreservationNation blog features stories, news, and notes from the National Trust for Historic Preservation as well as the wider preservation movement. Have a great story to share? Email us! And visit PreservationNation.org to learn more about people saving places.

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